LEADERSHIP – Civics Alive Kentucky

Tip is a seventh-generation Kentuckian who grew up in Northern Indiana, because he’s “the son of a preacher man.” He graduated DePauw University cum laude in Political Science and French, and he attended graduate school at the University of Kentucky. Political fundraising, non-profit fundraising, and grants management in Washington, DC and Lexington have provided Tip with a broad, exciting, and memorable professional history.

Equally significant is his near 30-year addiction to methamphetamine, an addiction that ultimately resulted in a felony convictions and multiple incarcerations. Tip has faced housing insecurity, near homelessness, hunger, borderline indigency, and the loss of his freedom to vote – which has been restored.

Tip has been featured in his DePauw Alumni Magazine, several Kentucky news stories, and he enjoys speaking to civic and recovery groups. His civic involvement includes the League of Women Voters of Kentucky Voting Rights Restoration Committee, Kentucky United Methodist Church Advocacy Team, Kentucky Council of Churches Advocacy Team, Jessamine County Braver Angels, and First UMC Downtown Lexington Serve Team.

Felony convictions, incarceration, and upbringing all fuel his passion for restorative justice. Quoting Arundhati Roy, “There’s really no such thing as the ‘voiceless.’ There are only the deliberately silenced, or the preferably unheard.”

Carolyn Dupont is Professor of History at Eastern Kentucky University, where she specializes in African American history and American religious history. Her most recent book is Distorting Democracy: The Forgotten History of the Electoral College—and Why it Matters Today. Her first book, Mississippi Praying: Southern White Evangelicals and the Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1975 won the Frank S. and Elizabeth D. Brewer prize from the American Society of Church History in 2014. Her opinion writing has appeared in The Huffington Post and The Washington Post, among other outlets.

Dupont believes passionately in civic engagement and has twice run for a seat in the Kentucky General Assembly. She currently serves as state coordinator for Braver Angels, a national, grass-roots organization that works on depolarization. She co-leads a local chapter of that group in Jessamine County, Kentucky.

Chris Applegate is the founder and Executive Director of Camp Kadesh, Inc., a nonprofit providing transitional housing and reentry support for people returning from incarceration in rural Kentucky. After spending seven years incarcerated, he came home to find that the systems meant to support reentry often left people with nothing but a trash bag full of their belongings and a bus ticket — and decided to do something about it. Through his firm, Effective Assistants of Counsel, LLC, he provides paralegal services to Kentucky attorneys. He also founded Restoration Kentucky, which focuses on criminal justice reform policy at the state level. A speaker and panelist for civic, faith, and advocacy organizations across Kentucky, Chris brings both lived experience and policy expertise to every conversation about reentry and criminal justice reform.

Born and raised in Morehead, Kentucky, Adrielle Camuel comes from a family of small business owners and has dedicated her career to public service. She holds a Master's Degree in political science from the University of Louisville and has over 15 years of experience working for Fayette County Public Schools, where she works with diverse families to solve problems and build bridges. Prior to her education career, she spent 10 years in the small business sector, giving her firsthand insight into the challenges facing Kentucky's entrepreneurs. A passionate advocate for families and healthcare, Adrielle has spent years building relationships with legislators, advocating in Frankfort. She is married to Chris, a public-school teacher with 28 years of service, and together they have two children, Benjamin and Madison.

Dr. Steve Clements has taught political science at Asbury University since 2008, and from 2010 to 2025 he also served as Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Prior to assuming his current position, he taught graduate level education policy and politics courses at the University of Kentucky, spent three years on federal grant staff for Kentucky’s Education Professional Standards Board in Frankfort, and worked at the US Department of Education in Washington, DC. After graduating from Asbury in 1983, he studied classical languages at Vanderbilt University, and later earned an MA and PhD in political science at the University of Chicago. He lives outside of Wilmore with Markie, his wife of 42 years. They have three grown sons and three grandchildren

Heather Whyte was born in Salt Lake City, Utah along with her three siblings. Her family moved MANY times throughout their childhood. They lived in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, and now Kentucky. Heather’s family moved to Kentucky when she was 11. So, she grew up in Lexington and has made it her home.

Heather recently retired after teaching elementary school for 27 years. She most enjoyed teaching social studies and math to her 3rd-5th grade students. When teaching social studies, her goal was not only to teach the historical events that shaped the United States, but to also teach students how to be critical thinkers. She encouraged them to ask questions, always be curious, and not to be afraid of disagreeing with others.

Heather’s upbringing instilled a love for travel and visiting places off-the-beaten path. She enjoys exploring different countries and experiencing new cultures, because the world is full of fascinating people.

Heather holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Kentucky University, and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Georgetown College.